Ford Accelerates Partnership Talks with VW

Ford Motor Co. tells Bloomberg News it is in “very broad” discussions with Volkswagen AG about collaborating on technology, small cars and market development worldwide.

The discussion “isn’t being limited in any way whatsoever,” adds Chief Financial Officer Bob Shanks. Sources tell Bloomberg that possible alliances could include self-driving-vehicle technologies.

Shanks notes that Ford and VW have worked together in the past. “We match up really, really well,” he says. CEO Jim Hackett told analysts earlier this month that Ford would soon be telling them about new strategic partnerships.

Ford launched talks months ago with VW on light-duty commercial vehicles. The U.S. carmaker also agreed this month to share powertrain and connectivity technology with India’s Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd.

Both sets of negotiations are part of Hackett’s effort to overhaul Ford operations on a global scale. The plan includes shoring up the company’s product lineup and bolstering weak market positions.

Shanks—pointing to the auto industry’s unpredictable future as it embraces electrification, vehicle connectivity and new options for personal mobility—says deeper collaboration is essential.